PETpla.net Insider 10 / 2011

PRODUCTS 49 PET planet insider Vol. 12 No. 10/11 www.petpla.net Shrink-wrapper without sealing bar Cermex, part of the Sidel Group, has announced the commercial launch of a new range of shrink-wrapping machines, which do away with the need for sealing bars. Presented under the brand of VersaFilm, the machine’s design uses modular architecture and other technologies to improve costs and lead times, the company says. The VersaFilm range is divided into three functions: product infeed, selection and lapping, and film shrinking in a heat tunnel. The modular architecture considers each function separately and is intended to enable the development of a solution that is based on the optimised combination of three, to suit customer requirements. Cermex claims that this increases overall added-value by an order of magnitude. The modules are comprised of currently available sub- assemblies selected from the technical database. The modular design and the addition of numerous servo-drives have led to the removal of a large number of transmission chains, with consequent elimination of recurring lubricating operations. The collating and lapping bars, which still require a traditional drive system, are equipped with a new gen- eration of maintenance-free chains. Dismantling the infeed and lapping belts can be carried out by a single operator. Cermex says that an ergonomic redesign improves oper- ability. The whole rack of the injection table is removable and maintenance is tool-free and the machine can handle thicknesses ranging from 20 to 80. Factory settings require no future adjustments, whatever the film thickness used. The injection table is servo-driven in a compact footprint. The 3D control interface, PLC and axis cards are sourced from the same supplier and this uniformity is claimed to improve reli- ability and simplify fault-finding and maintenance. Firmware updates and program transfers to plug-and-play compo- nents are automatic. Cermex says that its Dual Injection System (DIS.) enables continuous machine operation, with independent dual heads enabling reel changeover without machine stoppage. The VersaFilm range accommodates product formats from 55 to 124mm, and 25cl to 3l. A cas- sette cuts format changeover time to less than a minute. The company claims that a re-design of the insulation and air circulation has generated a 30% saving in power consump- tion in the shrink tunnel. www.cermex.eu